Non-sag latch means for overhead doors



May 17, 1960 Filed April 4, 195a NON-SAG LATCH MEANS FOR OVERHEAD DOORS2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I, 25 Z '4' 4* z/ 22 I 0-- I 2- 176. 1. I I h l I f f xCLEMENT E. 257/ 73 ,45 7 INVENTOR.

5' AEQZ/ AND JESSZ/P,

47702/VEV5 5y W 426 May 17, 1960 c. E. PETITPAS NON-SAG LATCH MEANS FOROVERHEAD DOORS Filed April 4, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 .IlllIll/lllllllllI/l C'lEMFNT EFF/7, 345

INVENTOR. fiiez/AA/o JESS? flTI'OP/VE/S w 2,937,044 NON-SAG LATCH MEANSFOR OVERHEAD DOORS Clement E. Petitpas, Redondo Beach, Calif.Application April 4, 1958, Serial No. 726,413

13 Claims. (Cl. 292-99) This invention relates to doors'of the overheadretracting type, such as garage doors,'-andmore particularly relates tothe latch means associated'therewith-for se-' V curing the door inoverhead horizontal position.

. The object of the invention is to provide an improved 7 latch meansfor doors of theo verhead retracting type.

Another object of the invention is to provide a latch means for suchtype doors which 'is adapted to secure the door in its overheadhorizontal position in such man ner as to prevent the door from sagging.

A further object of the invention is to provide a non-sag latch meansfor doors of the overhead retracting type.

Still another object is to provide'a releasable latch means for securinga door of the overhead retracting type in non-sag overhead horizontalposition.

Other objects will be apparent as the invention is more fullyhereinafter disclosed.

In accordance with these objects, I have devised an improved latch meansfor securing an overhead door of theretracting type in a non-sagoverhead horizontal position, in which latch means a pin means mountedon the outer surface of the door engages a movable cam latch as the doorapproaches its overhead horizontal position which operates to lift thedoor out of sag position into non-sag position as the door reacheshorizontal position and to releasably secure the door in said non-sagposition. The cam latch is sustained in pinengaging position to beselectively adjustable from a low to an intermediate or to a highposition to adapt the latch means for utility with doors having varyingdegrees of sag.

Before further disclosure of the present invention, reference should bemade to the accompanying drawings wherein one specific embodiment of theimproved latch means of the present invention is illustrated by way ofexample but not by way of limitation.

In the drawings: 3

Fig. 1 is a sectional side elevational view of a garage door of theoverhead retracting type provided with the improved latch means of thepresent invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional side elevational view of I the upper endof the structure shown in Fig. 1 showing the illustrated. This type ofdoor 'D is typical of the type door moved out of the vertical positionof Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the doorin horizontaloverhead position with the non-sag latch means of the present inventionengaging the door; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along plane 4 4 of Fig. 1.

'Referring to the drawings, a door D of the overhead commonly utilizedas garage doors and in the instant specific embodiment the door D is tobe construed as being of the size commonly known as the 2% door type.The

2,937,044 Pdtented May 17, iaeo part of the present invention except asbeing necessary and essential thereto.

The present invention relates to the latch means L and the cooperatingpin means P, associated with the door D specific embodiment shown, thisvertical alignment is at the approximate vertical center of the door D.

The pin means P is comprised of a double arm bracket 10'having'a pin 11mounted between and on the arms thereof in determined spaced relation tothe door D with its' pin axis disposed in a horizontal plane parallel tothe outer surface of the door D. The pin 11 is mounted at a horizontallevel adapted to provide for the engagement of the pin 11 by the hookend 20 of the latch means L as'the door D is lifted fromthe verticalposition shown in Fig. l to a near-horizontal overhead position. Uponengagement of the pin 11 with the hook end 2001? the latch means L, theslide cam 21 from which the hook end 20 depends is moved from theposition shown in Fig. 2 to the position shown in Fig. 3 in which latterposition the door D is movably secured or latched into a nonsaghorizontal position.

Referring to the latch means L, this means comprises a bracket 31 havinga bracket arm 30 mounted thereon 'on which bracket arm is mounted aslide cam 21 from which depends the hook end 20. V

The slide cam 21 is mounted on the bracket arm 30 in such manner as tobe movable in the direction of door movement from a low position whenthe door is in its verticalposition to a high position when the door isin I the specific embodiment shown the bracket arm 30 is comprised of asubstantially triangular steel plate having two sides disposed at rightangles to each other; The shorter side is secured to the bracket 31 withthe longer side uppermost and with the bracket arm 30 sustainedvertically at the approximate vertical center of the door. The trackwayfor the slide cam 21 is provided in the arm 30 by means of the slot 22formed in the bracket arm 30 in parallel spaced relation to theangularside thereof.

The slide cam 21 is comprised of a pair of steel plates (21a- -21b, Fig.4) also substantially triangular in shape, secured together in parallelspaced relationship by means of rollers 23, 24 and 40. The rollers 23and 24 engage; the trackway provided by the slot 22 and dependingly sus-'.tain the cam 21 on the trackway for sliding movement therealong inboth directions. N a

A latch means comprising a notch 9r transverse groove 26 adjacent theuppe'f'end of the 'trackwayi22 als'o'iis provided, into'which the roller23 passes as the cam 21 reaches high position, as shown in Fig. 3, tothereby dependingly sustain the door D in non-sag position.

door D and the means R associated therewith are not a.

Roller 40, mounted on the hook end 20 of the slide cam 21, is astar-type roller and has a dual purpose, 'As indicated in Fig. 1, thelatch means L is mounted in such a position ,as to permit the hook end20 of theslide position. The engagement of the hook-end 20 by the pinslide cam 21 must be so mounted on the trackway of slot '22 as to befree to assume thereon three different positions. 7 c

In the position indicated in Fig. 1, the normal first or the axis of theroller 24 from the position shown in Fig. 2 to the position shown inFig. 1 upon the return movement of the door D to vertical position. Thisis provided for in the specific embodiment by providing the lower end ofthe slot 22 with an upwardly-extending reversing slot portion 25 intowhich the roller 23 is free to move as the upper edge of the door Dengages the hook end 20 in the return movement of the door, while thecam 21 pivots about the axis ofthe roller 24.

In the reverse movement of the door D to horizontal position, the cam 21reversely pivots about the a'xisof the roller 24 as the cam 21gravitationally returns to full depending position when the door Dreturns to the position shown in Fig. 2.

After the pin 11 is engaged in the hook end 20 of the cam 21, theeccentric positioning of the hook end 20 on the cam 21 pivots the cam 21about the axis of roller 23 raising the roller 24 into contact with thetrack way provided by the upper edge of the slot 22. In this pivotedposition, the weight of the door D is dependingly carried by the cam 21as the cam 21 is moved upwardly to a position bringing the roller 23into the notch or transverse groove 26. In other words, the cam 21 hasan uplift effect as it moves up the slot 22, under the influence ofinward movement of door D. Entrance of the roller 23 into the latchgroove 26 effectively latches the door D in horizontal position as thesag weight of the door D holds the cam 21 in seated position in thegroove 26, requiring a determined'downward pull on the bottom of thedoor D to lift the roller 23 out of groove 26 engagement over therounded shoulder 27 to release the roller 23 from latch groove 26.

To adapt the latch means L for utility with doors having varying degreesof sag, the arm 30 is provided with means comprising bolts 3536 andcooperating aligned openings in bracket 31 and bracket arm 30 to varythe horizontal level of the hook endZtl.

In this means the lower bolt 35 functions as the pivot point for the arm30 and the upper bolt 36 engages one of the arcuately spaced openings37, 38, '39 in'the arm 30. When the bolt 36 engages the opening 37, thearm 30is mounted in its lowest position with the hook end 20 at itslowest horizontal leveL. When the bolt 36 engages opening 39, the arm 30is mounted in its highest position with the hook end 20 at its highesthorizontal level. When the bolt 36 engages the intermediate opening 38,the hook end 20 isdisposed at an intermediate horizontal level. Thespacing between the openings 37, 38 and 39 is selected to provide forarelatively wide range of sag conditions encountered, and the totalnumber of said openings may be increased if desired without essentialdeparture from the invention.

From the drawings it is believed apparent that in operation the non-saglatch means L of the present invention operates substantially asfollows:

When the door D is moved upwardly out of the vertical position shown inFig. 1 by means ofyhandle 50 to the position shown in Fig. 2, the slidecam 21 falls gravitationally from the rest position shown in Fig. 1 tothe pin-engaging position shown in Fig. 2 bringing the hookend 20 into aposition to engage the pinll of the bracket as the door D approaches itsoverhead horizontal rest posiiton, the cam 21 must be free to pivotabout characteristics for the purpose in view, as is also the slide cam21. It is preferred to comprise the slide cam 21 of is so locatedtherein to provide for this as the door D reaches full horizontalposition. The weight of the door D on the cam 21 secures the door D infull horizontal position until a downward vpressure is applied to thebottom end of the door D sufiicient to lift the roller 23 out ofgroove-engaging position'and over the rounded shoulder or lip 27' backonto the inclined trackway provided by the slot 22. The door D then canbe returned to first (door closure) position by the retracting means Rnormally provided. When returned to closure position the latch means Lassumesthe position shown in Fig. 1 wherein the lower roller 23 passesinto the reentrance portion 25 of the slot 22 thereby permitting thestar roller 40 of the hook-end 20 of the slide cam 21 to lift upwardlyand to rest upon the plate 41.

Bracket 31 and bracket arm 30 are each comprised of heavy steel platematerial having the required strength two spaced plates 21a21 b,substantially as indicated in Fig. 4, with the rollers 23-24 maintainedtherebetween by means of bolts 505tl.' Various alternative arrangementsmay be employed, however, without essential de parture from theinvention, as one skilled in the art will perceive.

Having hereinabove disclosed the present invention generically andspecifically and having described and illustrated one specificembodiment thereof, it is believed that many modifications, changes anddepartures may be made therein without essential departure therefrom,and all such are contemplated as may fall within the scope of thefollowing claims.

What is claimed is:

1; In overhead doors of the retracting type, a latch means for securingthe door in a non-sag overhead horizontal position, said latch meanscomprising a sliding up lift cam provided with a hook end, meanssustaining the sliding uplift cam in a position above the horizontallevel of the door when in overhead position with the hook end thereof ina position to be engaged by a pin means mounted on the exterior surfaceof the door as the door. approaches its overhead horizontal position,thereby to actuate the sliding uplift cam from a low to a high positionas the door reaches overhead horizontal position, and a releasable latchmeans retaining the cam in said high po sition, said high position ofsaid cam dependently sustaining the door by said hook end in a non-sagposition.

2. The latch means of claim 1 wherein said sliding uplift cam comprisesa plate member provided with spacedapart rollers and wherein saidrollers are mounted on an upwardly-inclined trackway, and, wherein saidtrackway is sustained at a horizontal level above the said door when inoverhead horizontal position with the upward incline of the trackwayextending in the direction of door movemounted in a bracket armextending from a bracket secured to the door header.

4. The latch means of claim 3, said bracket arm being verticallyadjustable to vary the position of said hook end.

5. In combination with a door of the overhead retracting type, anoverhead latch means for securing'the door in non-sag overheadhorizontal position, said latch means comprising a hook-ended verticaluplift cam, means sustaining the cam in aposition above the-door when inits overhead position for its hook end to be engaged by a pin 'meansdisposed on the outer surface of the door as the door approaches saidoverhead position to thereby engage the cam to movethe cam from a lowposition to a vertically higher'positionas the door reaches saidoverhead position, and means at said higher position to secure the camin non-sagposition, said securing means being releasable by the returnmovement of the door out of its horizontal position to a verticalposition.

6. The combination of claim 5, said means sustaining the said camcomprising a bracket mounted above the door, a bracket arm extendinghorizontally therefrom, an inclined trackway for said cam, spaced rollermeans on said cam and engaging said trackway, the incline of saidtrackway being upward in the direction of door movement to overheadposition, and wherein said means to secure the said cam in said higherposition eomprises'a transverse groove in said trackway adjacent itsupper end adapted to seat one of the said rollers therein. 2

7. The combination of claim 6 wherein means is provided at the lower endof said trackway for the lower said roller to be displaced verticallyupwardly thereby to lift the cam and hook end thereon to a horizontallevel at which the said hook end rests upon the top of the said doorwhen it is in its vertical position.

8. A vertical uplift cam means, said cam means comprising a bracket, abracket arm thereon and means to mount the bracket with the bracket armextending therefrom in a horizontal plane, a vertically-inclinedtrackway on said bracket arm, a cam, roller means mounting the cam to bemovable along the trackway, and a hook arm depending from said cam in aposition 'to be engaged by a hook end engaging-means on an object beingmoved in the direction of said trackway at a horizontal'level below saidtrackway when said cam is located at the lower end of said trackway,thereby to dependingly sustain the said object therefrom at the upperend of said trackway at a higher horizontal level.

9. The cam means of claim 8, a transverse groove in said trackwayadjacent the upper end thereof adapted to receive and seat the saidroller means movably therein.

10. The combination of claim 8 wherein said bracket arm comprises asubstantially triangular plate member having two sides substantially atright angles to each other, means sustaining the plate member in avertical plane with the third side downward, a slot extending along andin spaced relation to said third side, and providing a trackway for saidcam.

11. The combination of claim 10 wherein said cam comprises a pair ofplate members, a pair of rollers and means securing the two platestogether in parallel spaced relationship with the said rollerstherebetween in spaced relation adjacent one end of the plate and withthe said rollers engaging the said trackway to dependingly sustain thecam therefrom, a hook end on the depending end of said plates, said hookend being provided with a roller means.

12. The combination of claim 11, said lashmentioned roller meanscomprising a star roller.

13. The combination of claim 10, said slot being provided at its lowerend with a vertical reversing slot 'ofifset.

References Cited in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,579,621 Smith Dec. 25, 1951 2,660,765 Carlson Dec. 1, 1953 2,703,247Wolf et al. Mar..1, 1955 2,770,005 Smith Nov. 13, 1956 2,807,460 GuimontSept. 24, 1957 2,828,992 Palhegyi -2 Am. 1. 1958

